1. Technical Field
The invention relates to systems and methods for providing automated layout and design of recording text and images on three-dimensional objects. More specifically, the invention relates to scalable systems and methods for automatically imposing and printing custom designs on a plurality of disparate objects via browser-based interfaces or stand alone kiosks.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of personal electronic devices is becoming increasingly ubiquitous in modern cultures. Likewise, there is an upward trend for owners of the devices to personalize and accessorize their devices. For example, as consumers' environments have changed to include more frequent beeps and buzzes from cellular phone calls, text message notifications, and electronic calendar applications, many consumers rely on unique ringtones to differentiate their personal electronic device from the noise. Similarly, many consumers choose to personal the look of their electronic device to differentiate their device from others or as a fun way for self-expression.
One way of personalizing an electronic device is to add unique artwork or text to the outer surface of the device or to place a cover around the device. However, previous attempts to provide customized or personalized devices have fallen short in one respect or another.
Some attempts to personalize electronic devices rely on the use of a stick-on appliqué. However, there are numerous problems with using stickers to personalize an electronic device. First, personal electronic devices are typically so-frequently handled that durability is a principal concern. Stickers applied to the device with adhesive are easily scratched off and tend to fade or otherwise deteriorate. Additionally, the suppliers of a stick-on appliqué are required to make guesses about what designs will be popular and how much product to order. Indeed, if a particular design trend quickly goes out of fashion, suppliers will be left with a surplus of valueless inventory.
Another technique for personalizing an electronic device is to bond color ink, etch or engrave the device itself. However, known practices for laser engraving a device come up short to achieving commercial viability.
Known laser engraving, color printing, and impact printing systems comprise a printer connected to a computer that is operated by a trained technician. The technician loads artwork onto the machine via a hard drive or downloaded from a network database. The technician is then required to manually edit the artwork using a third party software graphics application. However, oftentimes the graphics applications are difficult to learn and create opportunities for user error. For example, a technician might get the measurements wrong for the art, the device, or the template.
Additionally, the laser engraving printer is a sophisticated piece of equipment that has complicated settings, i.e. speed, power and focus settings. Typically, a technician will program the speed and power, and then manually set the focus by raising and lowering the substrate tray based on experimentation. Given the sophistication of these machines, there is high degree of error when using this method.
These prior art processes are tedious and wasteful, for even a single piece of artwork engraved on a single electronic device. As explained above, consumers' tastes are constantly changing, thereby requiring the availability of numerous artwork options for a large variety of devices and compounding the deficiencies of the prior art. Clearly, known methods for imposition that require a sophisticated technician are too labor-intensive to be practical without being cost-prohibitive.
What is needed are systems and methods for providing automated layouts and designs for recording text and images on any of a plurality of disparate three-dimensional objects.
As explained above, known methods for personalizing a work piece involve an unacceptably slow process of manually moving, rotating and scaling graphics, adjusting printer settings, etc. Therefore, the need for a faster process is compounded in a retail environment because multiple consumers can simultaneously place orders and because retails consumers are not likely to wait longer than a few minutes for delivery. Accordingly, there is also a need for a retail-space solution to personalization of electronic devices using a laser-engraver.